Clamp for two-roll paint applicator



Feb. 3, 1959 J. v. HUNN EI'AL CLAMP FOR TWO-ROLL PAINT APPLICATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1955 INVENTORS fiwmw United States Patent CLAMP FOR TWO-ROLL PAINT APPLICATOR James V. Hunn, Avon Lake, and Axel E. Ogren, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Sherwin-Williams Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 6, 1955, Serial No. 538,838

Claims. (Cl. -246) This invention relates to a clamp for a paint applying roller. More specifically, this invention relates to a selfaligning clamp for a two-roll coating device which is capable of coating or printing continuous surfaces or applying designs on surfaces.

Multiple roll coating devices are not new in the paint roller field. Such devices include two rolls; an applicator roll and a design roll in contact with said applicator roll. These two-roll coating devices usually comprise a clamp which serves to convert the standard one-roll paint roller into a two-roll paint roller, by holding a second roll and shank on the original paint roller. There are also plural roll type coating devices in which the coating roll may be moved out of contact with the applicator roll to permit re-supplying thereof of coating material, and then re-set to substantially the original contact pressure with the applicator roll.

It has been found that if the axles supporting the rolls are not in substantially parallel relationshsip with each other, the rolls do not contact each other evenly. This results in an uneven transfer of coating material from the applicator roll to the coating roll. With such an uneven supply of paint on the coating roll, an unsatisfactory result in applying a design or coating to a wall is frequently obtained.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a clamp for a paint roller of the plural roll type which enables the maintenance of a substantially uniform peripheral contact pressure between rolls from one extremity of the roll to the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplified means of attaching a single roll to the single roll paint roller available to the trade, whereby the peripheral :contact pressure between the rolls is substantially uniform along the line of contact.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a multiple roll design applying paint roller device in which the paint pick-up of the design roll from the paint supply roll is substantially uniform.

Other objects of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Broadly stated, then, this invention comprises a clamp for holding two paint rollers having separate shank structures including a rearwardly extending shank portion in superimposed laterally fixed relationship while permitting movement about two axes, one being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the two paint rollers, and the other normal to said axes of rotation and substantially centrally of the working surface of at least one of said rollers, comprising a pair of hinged members, one of which members is formed to grasp and fixedly retain the shank structure of one paint roller, and the other member jpurnaled to the rearwardly extending shank portion of 2,871,500 Patented Feb. 3, 1959.

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For the purposes of this description, the roll which applies the design or coating to the surface being decorated will be referred to as the coating roll. The roll which supplies the paint to the coating roll will be referred to as the applicator roll, in that its function is to apply paint to the coating roll.

To aid in the description of the clamp of this invention, the coating roll assembly and the applicator roll assembly will be discussed and described in detail first. The standard single roll paint roller device will now be discussed.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is provided a coating roll or design imprinting roll 1 provided with means for manually handling the same, comprising a handle 2 having a shank structure 3 connected thereto by any suitable means, the shank structure being bent at right angles at a point somewhat removed from the handle 2 as shown at 4, and projecting laterally as shown at 5 to a point beyond the end of the coating roll 1 where it is again bent at substantially right angles for a distance to provide an oifset portion 6, of such a length as to provide clearance between the coating roll 1 and the lateral portion 5. The end of the offset portion 6 terminates in an elongated inwardly projecting axle or pin 7, the axis of which is substantially parallel to the laterally projecting shank portion 5 of the handle structure. The pin 7 forms an axle about which the coating roll rotates, said roll 1 being mounted and maintained on said pin or axle 7 by any suitable means, not shown.

Superimposed above the shank and roll portions just described is a second rolland shank structure, comprising the applicator roll 8 mounted on an elongated projecting pin 9, the axis of which is substantially parallel to the axis of pin 7. The pin or axle 9 is bent at right angles at 10 (see Fig. 2) to form an offset portion 11 which is preferably of the same length as the corresponding offset portion 6 of the lower roll. The offset portion 11 is again inwardly bent at right angles forming a laterally projecting shank portion 12 and at the point 13, which is the center of the applicator roll, is bent back at right angles to form a rearwardly extending shank portion 14. As shown in Fig. 1, the rearwardly extending shank portion 14 is bent upwardly at point 15, forming an angle between the forward portion 16 and rear portion 17 of shank portion 14. The magnitude of this angle determines the distance the two rolls may be moved away from each other. The free end of the shank portion 14- terminates in a flattened portion 18. The shank portion leis so adjusted and disposed as to rotate substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of applicator roll 8 and coating roll 1 through a limited are about an axis just forward of point 15 of shank portion 14. The flattened portion 18 may extend to a point where, when fully de pressed, as shown in Fig. 1, it touches handle 2 or it may be short enough to miss handle 2 and thus contact shank 3. The paint roller assembly just described may have the exact dimensions of the single roll paint roller first described with only the rear portion modified as disclosed.

The two paint roller assemblies thus far described are maintained in a substantially superimposed laterally fixed relationship by means of a two-piece hinged clamp which has been generally indicated at 19. The rear portion 17 of shank 14 and shank portion 3 are maintained spaced apart under positive pressure by any suitable means such as a torsion spring 20 Wrapped about the hinge "pin' 42. It will be noted that by depressing the flattened portion 18, the applicator roll 8 is moved out of contact with the roll 1, as is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l.

The two-piece hinged clamp 19 comprises a lower body 21 of any suitable material, e. g., metal or plastic,having a shape adapted to conform to the right angle bend or elbow 4 of the shank portions 3 and of the coating roll 1. Overturned lip 22 formed in the forward portion of the lower body 21 of clamp 19 extends outwardly and downwardly to partially surround the laterally extending portion 5 of the coating roll 1. Similar lips 23 and 24 are formed in the rear portion of body portion 21, which are adapted to clamp partially around the opposite sides of the shank structure 3 of the coating roll 1. It is to be noted that lips 22, 23 and 24 only partially extend around the shank portions 5 and 3. The rear portions of these lips are leftopen sufficiently to grasp yet allow the shank portions to be easily removed. Lower body portion 21 of clamp 19 has a hole 25 in the area of lip 22 which is situated over shank portion 5. A fiat spring catch 26 is fastened to the underside of body portion 21 by any suitable means, as, for example, rivet 27, and is bent slightly away from body 21 at the rivet 27.

The spring catch 26 has a right angle bend at its free end just below hole 25, forming an upwardly extending portion 28 which passes through hole 25 and terminates in a shoulder portion 29 bent toward the shank portion 5 to prevent the spring catch 26 from passing out of hole 25. The upwardly extending portion 28 is adapted to grasp and fixedly retain shank portion 5 within lip 22. Thus, when the lower body portion 21 of the clamp 19 is placed onto the shank portions 5 and 3 of the coating roll assembly, spring catch 26 clamps the parts together and will not disengage until catch 26 is manually pressed toward body portion 21 to release shank portion 5, thereby allowing the two assemblies to be separated. It is not essential that the two roll assemblies be releasably joined together, although this is the most convenient embodiment;

At the extreme rear portion of body portion 21 of the clamp 19, twodirectly opposite wing portions 30 and 31 are-bent upwardly at right angles to the body portion 21. These vertical wingportions 30and 31 are drilled to receive an axle or pin.42, later to be described.

Upper body portion 34 of the clamp 19 has a journal 35 which is fitted around shank portion 14 of the applicator roll 8 assembly. Here the journal 35 has been shown to be formed substantially completely around shank portion 14. However, it is contemplated that any suitable journalingmeans may be employed. Forwardly extending guide or. loop portion 36, of any suitable rigid material, e. g., metal or plastic, encircles loosely the laterally. extending portion of shank portion 12. The purpose of loop portion 36 is to prevent the movement of the applicator roll in a direction along the axis of the rearwardly extending shank portion 14. For purposes of illustratiomas shown in Fig. 1, the loop portion 36 has a slot 37 formed therein which is adapted to position and retain shank portion 12, allowing for an up and down movement therein but. substantially no movement in the direction along the axis of the rearward extending shank portion 14. Slot 37 has been shown to have a minor diameterjust' slightly larger than the diameter of the shank portion 12. The major diameter of slot 37 desirably allo'ws suflicient up" and down movement to be obtained for alignment purposes, but'without permitting 4 the rolls to contact each other during the application of paint to the applicator roll 8 when the two rolls are separated.

The loop 36 having therein slot 37 may serve a dual function in limiting both the axial movement of shank portion 14 and the extent of rotation about that axis depending on the length of slot 37. The latter function, while desirable, is not essential and other means for achieving the first function may be employed. For example, it is possible to achieve the function of limiting forward and backward motion by providing shoulders 40 and 41 on shank portion 14 on both sides of journal 35, as shown in Fig. 4. In this way, shank portion 14 is still free to rotate within journal 35 but is notafree to shift forward and back along its axis.

The top or upper portion 34 of clamp 19 maybe made shorter in length than the corresponding bottom portion 21, thereby maintaining axle 9 superimposed above axle 7 and a distance behind it. This position produces devices which are easier to use against a vertical surface than is normally available where the rolls have their axes one directly above the other. The rear portion of upper body portion 34 has two directly opposite wings 38 and 39 bent downwardly and at right angles thereto to correspond to wing portions Mind 31. These wing portions 38 and 39 are also drilled to receive an axle or pin 42. Wings 30 and 31, 38 and 39 are then hinged together by any suitable means, as, for example, by the pin or rivet 42, which has been placed therethrough, serving as an axle about which the entire applicator roll assembly may rotate. Further, torsion'spring 20 has been shown on rivet 42, in between the portions 21 and 34, as having two oppositely wound coils with a connecting center portion. Any other means suitable for this purpose may be employed. Nevertheless, the action of torsion spring 20 is to exert a spreading pressure between the rear portions of lower body 21 and upper body portion 34 to maintain rolls 8 and 1 in contact under positive pressure. This contact pressure may be varied by substituting spring or torsion means of different tension.

A hair pin clip 43 has been shown on the rear portion of shank 14 which is adapted to frictionally engage shankportion 3 when flattened rear portion 18 is depressed and to hold the rolls apart until positively released. If it is not desired to use hair pin clip 43, it may be omitted entirely from the assembly or may be merely rotated to a position Where it is unable to contact and grasp shank portion'3E With the present invention, if there is any mis-alignme'nt of parts, the play in the clamp will compensate for it whilestill permitting a substantially uniform pressure across the' entire length of the rollers at the point of contact. Journal 35 and elongated slot 37 in guide or loop portion 36 co-' operate to allow shank portion 14 to rotate about itsaxis within an are limited by the slot 37. This rotation of shank portion 14 about its axis, which is perpendicular or normal to the axis of rotation of the roll 8, permits the rotating of axle 9 on the same projected axis. Since the axis of shank portion I l-intersects the center portion of the axis of the applicator roll, and if desired,- also the coating roll, as shown in Fig.2, the self-alignment comes substantially centrally of the rolls whereby force is distributed evenly throughout the entire length of the 'roll. Thus, the clamp of this invention permits an even, peripheral contact pressure between the two rolls from one extremity of the roll to the other, even though the respective axles may be out of alignment and/or the two rolls may vary in diameter from one end to the other of the same roll. This results in better control of the contact of the rolls and consequently, better application to the surface to be coated.

In the practical operation of the device of this inr vention, the altered applicator roll assembly which includes the clamp 19 is attached to the standard coating roll assembly by inserting shank portion 3 in between the oppositely spaced lips 23 and 24 and pushing lateral portion 5 up toward lip 22 until the spring catch 26 snaps down behind portion 5 to hold it firmly against lip 22. The entire assembly now functions as a single unit. To dis-assemble, spring catch 26 is pushed up toward hole 25, thereby releasing lateral portion 5 which is pulled down from lip 22. Shank portion 3 may then be twisted slightly to remove it from contact with the oppositely spaced lips 23 and 24. The top portion 34 of clamp 19 may be permanently journaled to the shank portion 14 of the applicator roll 8 assembly. In this way when the paint roller is dis-assembled, the coating roll assembly again becomes a single roll paint applicator while the clamp remains attached to the applicator roll assembly.

To use the assembled unit, the operator presses down on the flattened portion 18 of the shank 14, thereby raising applicator roll 8 out of contact with the coating roll 1 and hairin clip 43 is forced down to engage and grasp the shank portion 3, thereby holding the rolls apart. Paint or other coating material may then be applied to the surface of the applicator roll 8 in any conventional manner, and when the shank 14 is again released, coating roll is forced into contact with the applicator roll 8 by the action of torsion spring 20. After all of the paint or other coating material has been transferred from the applicator roll 8 to the coating roll 1 and from the latter to the surface being decorated, it is only necessary to press down on shank lever arm portion 18 in order to permit re-supplying applicator roll 8 with more material and repeat the sequence of steps. With the coating roll 1 out of the way, there is no possibility of saturating the coating roll 1 with an excess of paint which would yield an unsatisfactory coating, particularly so where a design imprinting roll is used.

It is to be noted that it is not necessary for the coating roll to have the same dimensions as the applicator roll, e. g., diameter. However, for ease of manufacture, it is relatively simple to utilize tWo similar paint rollers, modifying only the shank portion of one and mounting the two rolls on the clamp in the manner indicated.

Further, it is no longer necessary to make sure that the axles of the two rolls are in parallelism in order to insure a satisfactory coating application. Because of the self-aligning feature of the clamp 19, the line of contact between the two rolls is always substantially even and proper.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

1. A clamp for holding two paint rollers having separate shank structures each including a rearwardly extending shank portion and a laterally extending portion at the forward end of said rearwardly extending shank portion in superimposed laterally fixed relationship while permitting movement above two axes, one being substantially parallel to the axes. of rotation of the two paint rollers, and the'other normal to said axes of rotation and substantially centrally of the working surface of at least one of said rollers, said clamp comprising a pair of hinged members, one of which members is formed to grasp and fixedly retain the shank structure of one paint roller, and the other member carrying means to rotatably journal the rearwardly extending shank portion of a second paint roller assembly and means for preventing movement of the applicator roll of said second paintroller assembly in a direction along. the axis of the rearwardly extending shank portion.

2. A clamp for holding two paint rollers having separate shank structures each including a rearwardly extending shank portion and a laterally extending portion at the forward end of said rearwardly extending shank portion in superimposed laterally fixed relationship, while permitting movement about two axes, one being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the two paint rollers, and the other normal to said axes of rotation and substantially centrally of the working surface of at least one of said rollers, said clamp comprising a pair of hinged members one of which members is formed to grasp and releasably fixedly retain the shank structure of one paint roller, and the other member carrying means to rotatably journal the rearwardly extending shank portion of a second paint roller assembly and means for preventing movement of the applicator roll of said second paint roller assembly in a direction along the axis of the rearwardly extending shank portion.

3. A clamp for holding two paint rollers having separate shank structures each including a rearwardly extending shank portion and a laterally extending portion at the forward end of said rearwardly extending shank portion in superimposed laterally fixed relationship while permitting movement about two axes, one being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the two paint rollers, and the other normal to said axes of rotation and substantially centrally of the working surface of at least one of said rollers, said clamp comprising a pair of hinged members, one of which members is formed to grasp and releasably fixedly retain the shank structure of one paint roller, and the other member carrying means to rotatably journal the rearwardly extending shank portion of a second paint roller assembly wherein said rearwardly extending shank portion is free to rotate about its axis, and a loop of rigid material spaced apart from said journal for loosely encircling the laterally extending portion of said second paint roller.

4. A clamp for holding two paint rollers having separate shank structures each including a rearwardly extending shank portion and a laterally extending portion at the forward end of said rearwardly extending shank portion in superimposed laterally fixed relationship while permitting movement about two axes, one being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the two paint rollers, and the other normal to said axes of rotation and substantially centrally of the working surface of at least one of said rollers, said clamp comprising a pair of hinged members, one of which members is formed to grasp and releasably fixedly retain the shank structure of one paint roller, and the other member carrying means to rotatably journal the rearwardly extending shank portion of a second paint roller assembly, whereby said rearwardly extending shank portion is free to rotate about its axis, a loop of rigid material spaced apart from said journal for loosely encircling the laterally extending shank portion of said second paint roller and means for maintaining said paint rollers in contact under positive pressure.

5. A clamp for holding two paint rollers having separate shank structures each including a rearwardly extending shank portion and a laterally extending portion at the forward end of said rearwardly extending shank portion in superimposed laterally fixed relationship while permitting movement about two axes, one being substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the two paint rollers, and the other normal to said axes of rotation apart from said journal for loosely encircling the laterally 10 o, g m extending shank portion of said second paint roller and having an elongated slot formed therein, said slot having a minor diameter slightly larger than the laterally extending portion of said rearwardly extending shank portion.

References Cited'in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 160,226 Australia L. Dec. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2 87l 5OO February 3I 1959 James V. Hunn et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should readas corrected below.

Column 5, line 73, for "movement above"v read movement about Signed and sealed this 2nd day of August 1960.

SEAL) Attest:

KARL AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

